Grapefruit Grace

The Ultimate Fall Treat: Nothing beats a dessert that bridges the gap between classic pumpkin pie and ultra-creamy cheesecake. These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are the rich, velvety texture of a cheesecake combined with the warm pumpkin spice flavours of fall! They deliver all the comfort of a holiday pie, but with a unique presentation and an easy-to-slice bar format that makes them perfect for fall gatherings.

The Magic Is in the Layers What sets these bars apart is the contrast between the cookie crust and the silky smooth filling. A sturdy graham cracker base brings just enough salty-sweet crunch to balance the tang of the cheesecake, The pumpkin filling itself stays light and airy thanks to properly softened cream cheese.

Baking Tips: To achieve that perfect, crack-free surface room-temperature ingredients are best. Be sure to pull your cream cheese and eggs out of the fridge an hour before baking to prevent lumps in the batter. When combining the filling, mix on low speed just until smooth. Too much air into the cheesecake batter can cause it to puff up in the oven and sink as it cools. Patience is key: let the bars cool completely at room temperature before transferring them to the fridge to set for at least four hours.

Serving and Storing For clean, picture-perfect slices, wipe your knife clean with between every single cut. Serve chilled, and store in the refrigerator otherwise.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Cheesecake Batter

• 1 1/2 cup cream cheese (350g)
• 1/2 cup granulted sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt

Pumpkin Cheesecake Batter

• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method

 

1. step one) To make the crust: Heat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix together all the crust ingredients and press it into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
3. To make the filling: using an electric mixer on low, mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until incorporated, scrape the bowl often. Add eggs one at a time, and then mix in the sour cream.
4. Separate out 3/4 cup of the filling into another bowl. Add pumpkin puree, spices and vanilla. Put this pumpkin cheesecake mixture into a pastry or ziplock bag with a round tip or simply cut the edge for piping.
5. Pour the original cheesecake batter over the crust and smooth it out. Pipe the pumpkin cheesecake over the top of the plain in a straight line pattern, then draw a butterknife or toothpick through it in the opposite direction to create the swirl. *For example, if I piped horizontal lines of pumpkin cheesecake then I would draw my knife perpendicular in the vertical direction.
6. Bake in a water bath in a larger rectangle pan for about 30-35 minutes until the cheesecake is set. It will still wobbles in the middle a little. Cool completely then chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or in the freezer for about 1 hour. Cut the cheesecake bars into squares and enjoy!